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Collection: FSA/OWI Color Transparencies

Photographers working for the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) between 1939 and 1944 made approximately 1,600 color photographs that depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The pictures focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working. The original images are color transparencies ranging in size from 35 mm. to 4x5 inches. They complement the better-known black-and-white FSA/OWI photographs, made during the same period

606 photos

Mary Louise Stepan, 21, used to be a waitress. She has a brother in the air corps. She is working on transport parts in the hand mill, Consolidated Aircraft Corp., Fort Worth, Texas

Servicing an A-20 bomber, Langley Field, Va.

Loading new transport planes at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant, Fort Worth, Texas

Lathe operator machining parts for transport planes at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant, Fort Worth, Texas

Frances Eggleston, aged 23, came from Oklahoma, used to do office work. Removing paper from pilot's window(?), Consolidated Aircraft Corp., Fort Worth, Texas

Getting a nose door ready to put on a C-87 transport plane at the end of the assembly line at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant, Fort Worth, Texas

Lowering an engine in place in assembling a C-87 transport plane at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant, Fort Worth, Texas

Installing oxygen flask racks above the flight deck of a C-87 transport at the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant, Fort Worth, Texas

Consolidated transport planes being loaded, Consolidated Aircraft Corp., Fort Worth, Texas

Two Navy wives, Eva Herzberg and Elve Burnham, entered war work after their husbands joined the service, Glenview, Ill. They assemble bands for blood transfusion bottles at Baxter Laboratories. Mrs. Burnham is the mother of two children

Transfusion donor bottles, Baxter Lab., Glenview, Ill.

Agnes Cliemka, age 23, married and husband may be going into the service any day, Heil and Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Agnes used to work in a department store. Checking of gasoline hose of gasoline trailers before being turned over the Air Force

Enola O'Connell, age 32, widow and mother of one child. Ex-housewife, now she is the only woman welder at Heil and Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

War production workers at the Heil Company making gasoline trailer tanks for the U.S. Army Air Corps., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mrs. Angeline Kwint, age 45, an ex-housewife, checking the tires of trailers. Her husband and son are in the U.S. Army

Lucile Mazurek, age 29, ex-housewife, husband going into the service, working on black-out lamps to be used on the gasoline trailers in the Air Force, Heil and Co., Milwaukee, Wisc.

Enola O'Connell, age 32, widow and mother of one child, ex-housewife, now only woman welder at Heil and Co., Milwaukee, Wisc.

The Governor's Palace, Williamsburg, Va. The capitol of the Virginia colony during the 18th century which was reconstructed and restored to its original state by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., during the 1930s

Marine Sgt. at New Orleans, La.

Freight Depot of the U.S. Army consolidating station, Chicago, Ill.

Manufacture of self-sealing gas tanks, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio

Electronics technician, Goodyear Aircraft Corp., Akron, Ohio

Marine motor detachment, New River, N.C.

Driver of Marine truck, New River, N.C.

Light tank going through water obstacle, Ft. Knox, Ky.